As Border Security Force (BSF) personnel posted at the Indo-Pak border along the Great Rann of Kutch are eagerly waiting to pay grand homage to martyrs of 1965 war on April 9, which is being observed as Valour Day, BSF authority is in process of enhancing more facilities for jawans along Kutch border.
BSF is in the process of upgrading facilities such as better communication links, including new roads, railway line, air-conditioned rooms, more All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), choppers, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other infrastructure facilities for troops deployed in the stretches of the marshy Rann of Kutch.
Co-incidentally, BSF is celebrating the golden jubilee year of its existence. It came into existence on December 1, 1965 following Pakistan's attack on Sadar Post situated on Chhar Bet and Bena Bet in Rann of Kutch on April 9 that year in which 17 CRPF jawans died while fighting against Pakistan battalion. On this April 9 this year, the BSF jawans are preparing to pay grand homage to the martyrs on the 50th anniversary of the incident.
BSF Inspector General (Gujarat) Santosh Mehra said that apart from seven roads along the 400-kms border stretch in the Rann of Kutch, a railway line and 50 helipads, plans are afoot to upgrade BSF with more ATVs, UAVs and choppers. The authorities have taken cognisance of difficulties faced by the BSF jawans performing duties on one of the most difficult terrain in the country that include marshy and saline frontier, said Mehra.
The creek area at the western most part of Kutch bordering Sindh province of neighbouring Pakistan is slushy and mostly sub-merged in knee deep semi solid mud. It cannot be accessed in any other mean but specially designed ATVs. Currently BSF has four such ATVs. Authorities are trying to procure some more ATVs. Besides, BSF is also planning to inducted six all weather floating Border Out Posts (BOPs) to enhance monitoring along the International Maritime Border along the Kutch. At present, BSF doesn't have any all weather floating BOP.